Ford delaying launch of new F150

[squat]

According to the nytimes Ford is going to delay the launch of their new pickup by two months.  The later start is to allow dealers time to clear current F150s on their lots.  This year is likely going to be the year that the F series truck loses it's title as the best selling vehicle. 

"As gasoline prices average more than $4 a gallon and consumers worry about the weak U.S. economy, we see June industry-wide auto sales slowing further and demand for large trucks and S.U.V.’s at one of the lowest levels in decades," Ford’s chief executive, Alan R. Mulally, said in a statement. "Ford has taken decisive action to respond to this accelerating shift in customer demand away from large trucks and S.U.V.’s to smaller cars and crossovers, and we will continue to act swiftly moving forward."

Ford will continue it's shift to smaller more fuel efficient cars and crossover suvs and will continue to work on powertrains that get better mileage that will include more hybrid vehicles in the future.

The new F150 and Dodge Ram are both remade for 2009, Chrysler has said that it does not plan to delay the launch of the 2009 Ram.  "There’s no better way to fight a slower pickup market than to introduce what we think is a game-changing truck," a Chrysler spokesman, Bryan Zvibleman, said.

[CrazyCurt]

I thought ford turned a profit last quarter.  Either way I guess it looks like ford is gonna be hurting big time for a long time.  The big three need to step up or get run over, chrysler I think is gonna do ok.  My caliber doesn't have the greatest interior but it's not been to the shop yet for any problems in the 25k miles I've put on it and I hope it stays that way.

[gman]

Ford an GM are both in big problems.  GM's stock price is down to it's lowest point since 1955, Ford is close to being in the pink sheets for stock prices.  Chrysler is the only us automaker that's not in huge trouble financially, but who knows what cerberus wants to do with it.  Right now isn't a good time to be in the auto industry if yer an american.

[NitroNanny]

I've actually been looking at the F150 along with the new Ram for my next truck.  It'll be a few years before I get one since I wanna pay off the Nitro first, but I think it's gonna be the new Ram.  They both seem to have the same styling cues and the interiors appear to be on par with each other.  The only thing left then is the drivetrain really and since Chrysler has the lifetime warranty and the Hemi will smoke the ford Triton and get better mpgs at the same time I see no reason to get the Ford...

[06Hemiman]

This doesn't surprise me.  Everyone is shutting down plants that make big vehicles, no need for them with the high gas prices.  People that would be buying them and don't need em are getting cars instead.

[the question]

I keep reading about how the big 3 are in huge trouble, I just read over at the cs monitor that the big 3 will have to become the big 2.  Everyone that writes generally agrees that chrysler is hurting more than the other two, but is that true?  How can they really know since chrysler is privately owned and doesn't have to talk about profits?  I think it's just assumed that chrysler is worse off because they sell a lot less vehicles than ford/gm.  So will chrysler make it through these tough times?

[george]

I'm not surprised at all by this, I would imagine that every automaker either has put large vehicle production on hold or is cutting back quite a bit.  The new truck should be exciting for ford but that means the current ones won't sell as well since everyone will want the new one.  I wouldn't be surprised if chrysler decided to do this too.

[squat]

I'm not surprised at all by this, I would imagine that every automaker either has put large vehicle production on hold or is cutting back quite a bit.  The new truck should be exciting for ford but that means the current ones won't sell as well since everyone will want the new one.  I wouldn't be surprised if chrysler decided to do this too.

GM is closing 4 of their suv plants and cutting shifts at others if that means anything to you.  Chrysler so far this year hasn't been hit that hard but they're idling plants left and right.

[raman noodles]

Every automaker is getting hit hard in their big vehicle sales right now, everyone is taking it in the shorts.

[MegaTruck]

Every automaker is getting hit hard in their big vehicle sales right now, everyone is taking it in the shorts.

I thought that ford actually posted a profit last quarter.  Maybe those are delayed numbers or something though.  Out of the big three I think ford is in the best shape and chrysler has the best potential, I hope the new HD Rams look as good as the current Rams.

[hemiram]

Every automaker is getting hit hard in their big vehicle sales right now, everyone is taking it in the shorts.

I thought that ford actually posted a profit last quarter.  Maybe those are delayed numbers or something though.  Out of the big three I think ford is in the best shape and chrysler has the best potential, I hope the new HD Rams look as good as the current Rams.

They did, the new F150 looks just as good as the new Ram in terms of quality.  Too bad their power plant sucks.  Put a decent engine in that truck and they could compete with the Ram.

[Mr Anderson]

According to the nytimes Ford is going to delay the launch of their new pickup by two months.  The later start is to allow dealers time to clear current F150s on their lots.  This year is likely going to be the year that the F series truck loses it's title as the best selling vehicle. 

"As gasoline prices average more than $4 a gallon and consumers worry about the weak U.S. economy, we see June industry-wide auto sales slowing further and demand for large trucks and S.U.V.’s at one of the lowest levels in decades," Ford’s chief executive, Alan R. Mulally, said in a statement. "Ford has taken decisive action to respond to this accelerating shift in customer demand away from large trucks and S.U.V.’s to smaller cars and crossovers, and we will continue to act swiftly moving forward."

Ford will continue it's shift to smaller more fuel efficient cars and crossover suvs and will continue to work on powertrains that get better mileage that will include more hybrid vehicles in the future.

The new F150 and Dodge Ram are both remade for 2009, Chrysler has said that it does not plan to delay the launch of the 2009 Ram.  "There’s no better way to fight a slower pickup market than to introduce what we think is a game-changing truck," a Chrysler spokesman, Bryan Zvibleman, said.

I hope it doesn't hurt them too much.  If not for the competition we wouldn't have the HP/quality we have in todays market.

[MegaTruck]

That's true, if the other guys weren't upgrading their interiors the new Ram would have the same tons of plastic that the current one does.  I just hope that in todays economy it doesnt hurt the big guys that much.

[speedinstyle]

That's true, if the other guys weren't upgrading their interiors the new Ram would have the same tons of plastic that the current one does.  I just hope that in todays economy it doesnt hurt the big guys that much.

I think the best example of this is with the avenger vs the fusion or the malibu.  GM and Ford did a really good job with the fit and finish of those two cars.  I didn't look at either before I bought the Avenger, it was kind of an impulse buy, and I love this car.  But I probably would have bought one of those two even though they cost a bit more.